Magnesium is a mineral that is needed in humans and other warm-blooded animals for bone, protein, and fatty acid formation. Magnesium is also involved in the formation of new cells, activating certain vitamins, relaxing muscles, clotting blood, and forming ATP. People with diabetes often have magnesium levels that are lower than normal compared with those who have normal glucose tolerance. Supplementation of magnesium can help maintain health in some of these areas, as well as help in overcoming some of these problems. Typically, many people do not consume enough magnesium in their diets.
Calcium, on the other hand, is the most abundant mineral in the human body. Of the calcium contained in the average body, about 99% is located in the bones, including the teeth. Calcium is needed to form bones and teeth and is also required for blood clotting, transmission of signals in nerve cells, and muscle contraction. Calcium supplementation is believed to reduce the incidence of osteoporosis.
Choosing a form of magnesium and/or calcium for supplementation has been a source of some confusion in the industry. Calcium carbonate is one form of calcium that is widely used, but is not believed to be absorbed as well as some other forms. Calcium citrate provides a form that is believed to be better absorbed than calcium carbonate. Calcium citrate/malate (CCM) is believed to be absorbed more fully than carbonate as well.
Other divalent minerals, such as zinc, copper, iron, and manganese, are also known to be important to the human diet, and can be administered in a supplemental form. For example, the trace mineral zinc is known to be involved in the transport of vitamin A, taste, wound healing, and fetal development. Zinc also plays a part in the correct functioning of many enzymes, hormones including insulin, genetic material, and proteins. Copper, on the other hand, plays a role in the absorption of iron, and is part of many enzymes. Additionally, iron is necessary for production or hemoglobin and oxygenation of red blood cells, builds up blood quality, and increases resistance as well as increasing energy production. Benefits of manganese include improvement of memory and reflexes, reducing of fatigue, and promoting proper development of thyroid hormones, skeletal, reproductive, and central nervous systems.
Malic acid is a dicarboxylic acid that is naturally occurring. Malic acid plays a role in the complex process of deriving ATP (the energy currency that runs the body) from food. Malic acid is found in a wide variety of fruits (including richly in apples) and vegetables. As malic acid is already found abundantly in humans and other warm-blooded animals, it can be administered without adverse affects. Further, there is some evidence that malic acid supplementation can be helpful to human nutrition.